English 122: (Aiken): Essay Assignments

This essay is the last of this type that you'll be writing this semester. To that end, I'd like you to write your own statement of power and responsibility. The guiding question for this essay is "What power do I have and what am I responsible for?"

You may use first person here; consider this something of a manifesto. I suggest that you first define what areas of your life you're going to address. Start by defining yourself: what areas of your life are most important to you? For example, I consider myself a mother, a spouse, and a teacher. You might consider yourself a son/ daughter, a student, and a friend-- or a sibling, an athlete, and an employee. Whatever. It's up to you to define yourself. 

Once you've decided what you are, ask yourself what power and responsibility you have in each scenario. You may choose to use examples to support your point, but the focal point here is not on stories you have to tell. Include a discussion of at least one character from a piece in this module, with proper MLA citation. 

Road map for this assignment (note: I expect each of you to go off-road at some point!):

I. Introduction (interesting hook)

   a. Include at least three areas of your life that you're going to address

   a. Thesis statement: general guiding statement defining  power and responsibility in those three areas. 

II. Area I:

   a. Power (w/ narrative example)

   b. Responsibility (w/ narrative example)

III. Area II:

   a. Power (w/ narrative example)

   b. Responsibility (w/ narrative example)

IV. Area III:

   a. Power (w/ narrative example)

   b. Responsibility (w/ narrative example)

V. Conclusion

Dates to know:

Monday, 3/31 Writing Workshop (no less than outline with complete introduction and thesis due)

Wednesday, 4/2 Peer Reviews

Friday, 4/4 Final draft due to turnitin.com

We're taking a different approach to this writing assignment. You have a two part assignment this time: first, create a creative nonfiction essay based on a personal experience significantly influenced by nature. This assignment necessitates that you use first person, but the focus should not be on what happens between you and another person. Here's an example:

-DON'T tell the story of how the keys got locked in the van for your first Boy Scout camping trip and you fought with your best friend over s'mores;

-DO tell the story of how you interacted with nature on that camping trip. 

This narrative has a minimum scope of 500 words. 

The second part of the assignment is to draft a 250-word cover letter for your essay, explaining why you chose the event that you did and what you hope the audience learns from it. You must reference (with correct MLA citation) at least one text from this section (including the documentary The Last Mountain). You might use one of the following questions to get started:

-What work from this section spoke to you, and why?

-What is the author of _________ trying to say? How is it relevant to you?

-Which piece made you think differently about your interactions with nature? Or the way you write?

Dates to know: 

Friday 3/14: Peer Reviews. Complete draft due.

Monday 3/24 in class: Workshop. Complete revision due.

Monday 3/24, 11:59 pm EST: Essay 4 due to turnitin.com.

The texts in this section all focus on the idea of family and identity. For this paper, you are to provide your own definition of family, rooted in your observations and experiences, and consider the role that your own family has in creating your personal identity. Using a combination of your own experiences and the readings from this section, your essay of 750 words (MLA format) should answer the following question: How do families contribute to individual identity? Include at least one reading selection. You may use first person where necessary.

You might want to consider the following:

-What's the primary meaning of "family"?

-What are other interpretations of the term?

-How are families valued, culturally?

-What is the role of families? Of specific family members?

-Do families stifle individualism? Do they encourage it?

-What images of family are presented in the readings? 

DATES TO KNOW:

-Essay Assigned Monday, 2/17

-Peer Reviews Monday, 2/24 and Wednesday, 2/26

2/28-Due to turnitin.com Friday 2/28

During this module, we'll be talking and thinking about individuals and communities. Your second essay assignment is on the following question: What does it mean to be an individual within a community? Keep in mind the following guidelines:

-Your essay must be argumentative. Don't merely define "individual" and "community." Instead, think about the relationship between the two and how you define that relationship.

-Your essay must draw upon at least one reading assigned between 1/31 and 2/10. Cite it using MLA format.

-Your essay must be at least 750 words.

-You may choose to use first person examples, but otherwise avoid statements such as "I think" and "I believe."

You might want to think about the following questions:

-How is individual identity created? 

-What brings communities together? Must members of a community know and acknowledge every other member of that community?

-Can you belong to more than one community?

-Is it possible to be an individual within a community?

Dates to know:

-Peer Reviews 2/10

-Due to turnitin.com 2/12

             Due to turnitin.com: 2:30 pm, Wednesday, Jan